Supporting frame for clotheswashing mechanism



J m 1954 c. L. REITZ ET AL SUPPORTING FRAME FOR CLOTHES-WASHINGMECHANISM Filed May 26, 1950 Inventors: CliFw ord L. .Peitz i F PG sd ii1 Attorneys.

The

Patented Jan. 26, 19 54 UNITED; stmrasi; PATENT? OFFICE;

SUPPORTING'FRAME'FOR oLo'rnEs-i WASHING MECHANISM Clifford L. Reitz';Trenton, N. J.,and- Edward G.

Lipski; Bristoh and James Young;Erie Pa assig-nors-tmGeneral Electric(Jompany; a, cor-a porationof N ew-York.

Application May 261- 1950, seriarNoi' 1645382 10 Claimsa. (Cl. 210-42).1 L 2 This .:invention' relates 'fcorandmprovedi means-1: lish'e's: acompensating mass-momentrarm 1rela-"-a for supporting'rnechanismsvihavingt a rotating h. tion'shipwhic-hiipancelsiouththe.;vibrationalcomes body which" at. the:commen'cementiofrotation'ui ponentsi contri'butingcizlargelyr'to"Ithe'xrvertical may have substantial:weighttarid unpredictable r:poundingf-tactiong::aseilaterrmore fully idescribedm static unbalance.The stifiness 1 :characteristics:"of v 'the"-"resi1ient For example, ourinventionis useful'in clothes mounting meansrestablishzra zlow' firstcritical/ washing machines of then type-. havingaa single; spe'ed--aloout:fl() R:P. aM::-:+and a secondvcriticaliv substantiallyimperforate, receptacleior washingrz. substantiallyzsaloove 5 their:approximately 700' and drying'clothes, andzin which'cthesdrying opal R.P.1M3runningrsp'e'eclsaz.Thedampener includes-' oration is accomplishedby-spinningr'thereceptacle 0 a spring'rloaded'frictionsipad carriediby.a :post at relatively high speed' tolextract water by cen-waffixedtoith'esibase memberzvconcentriciwithtithewz trifugal actiorrAllwashing machines rof thi resilient mount and engaging a portion of'th'e'ri general type do not employ the same operationalei. rigid frame:At theifirstcritioalspeed;thevibra 1- sequence, but it may be acceptedth'at at-wleast-. tionnodeshiftsupwardlyiromits initial verylow twiceduringteach-run all such imachinescen positionfapproximately:tozthenplaneof theresili-v trifugally extract waterwfollowinga period- :1:rent":mounti11g, wand Ell/hand beW"Sald 'spetid, which the clothes havebeen mechan cally-21gb therefore, thereis a substantiahmovement of thetated in a water' bath. The distribution-10f the "1 rigid frame relativeto the dampener, anol:c'orre;-:--v

clothes abouttthe receptacle--at:"the:commence1r Ispondinglyfl'arge';dampeningeffect; As-the ment ofthe water extractionoperation' is there 'chine?reaohes itssoperational s'peed of about/700fore entirely fortuitous and is 'almost' certainly R. P. 'M. ;tthenode-becomesrelatively olose :to the; nonsymmetrical as to weightfdisposition; :and it surface :of the. dampenen :and the-smalle relativew is necessaryrnot'only properly to support the'st-aticmovementbetweerrth'e". rigidaframe and the dampe weight of the machine.'duringvtheagitationsofw: enerreduces therdampeningxefiect andtheenergy;1" the clothes;--but= to provide Ia supportingsystemn? 1oss1inthe-idampenersystems? which will resiliently restrain theiextremef-vibraw Other-features andadvantages-willloe apparent: tions' and"oscillations? to which aniiunbalanced from'thefoll'owing:detailedz'description :of-a presrrotating system is 'subj801]? as --it passes rthrougha ently preferred?embodiment-of: ourinvention and its eriticalspeed-or speeds. a studyiofctheaccompanyng:drawing in which W 'haV SO ht by:o inv tiontaprovide:a Fig.1 isa.vertical sectionala'elevation-of a'wa-shingw; s pp r ing s ru re for awa hin :machin machineiemb'odyingr'our invention, and Fi .2 is amechanism which-affords'stability during-the ag-ir side elevation 10fthe 10Wer=pqrti0n.0f the support,- tationof the clothesiniwhichvthetotal---weight-- ing frame'and associated-:fdampener y to besupported is high a-nd: yet flexibly supports -z- A ,t i h n a hin bdyingour in! a the rotating system; which provides a simplifiedventioniincludes-an;outer::casing=--l havinge super--dampener-advantageously located relative to'the porting base "frame'zfifpljovidedywitht i/ bl vibration node at the critical speed and-runningplurality ofIadjustab1e-ieet-v3 i eans'ofwh-ich Speed Of the o at ys mto p ovid ma the :base mayr'be'rleveled relative to its floor-101 dampina the ystem appr ches nd pas es other'supportrv Thewoasing'-may1be:roundorpoly thr h its critical speedi a yl ezro gonahaas-desiredr: Itwillheassumedthatinthe damping at running sp reby reducing fric-zpresent-embodiment:the-tub rand base frame: are tio l ssesflrunningvspeed d providing squarexrln anyteventxthe baseiframeextendssmoother operation; and w ic flY' entirelyaroundmhe casing.Secured within [the- Densities against the axially directed compon tscasing'is a tubrlwithiniwhieh is disposeda recep.-- of vibrations so assubstantially to eliminatetacle'fii knowninithenartfas a basket-einrwhich :4 poundi of t ma a a s s s p r theiclothesrare Washedaand.dried. i The/basket base. i may" be: imperfoi'ate 1' except :for a linerof holesi We achieve these objectives by carrying-the which: may:establish a norma'hwaterlevel and.

clothesreceptacle and its-driving mechanism-on through.-whichsthewwater:escapesintothetub.

a rigid frame resting upon a resilient structure during-thecentrifugingaoperation..-

carrie'd by'a fixedbase member.. The vertical Inathemillustrated"embodiment the -tub is "a -J supporting axis of theresilient structure extends: non-rigid structureefor example, onermoldedof through the .centerof gravity of the static load rubber==+and is"secured toethaw-casingabyameansw rather than coincident with theaxisabout which 1 such-asan outwardlyiexparrdingielamping ringat thereceptacle rotatesi This axial location estaband the suitablesecurementrofaa flange- 9 to thee.

understood. A drive mechanism is housed withs in a gear casing l2. Fromsaid casing emerges a tubular shaft l4 within which is a concentricallyarranged shaft l5. Shaft 14 is affixed to a collar #5 to which thebasket 5 is secured. To shaft I5 is affixed a washing device [1.

The present invention is not concerned with the actual operatingmechanism by means of which shaft l5 oscillates the washing device I!and shaft l4 spins the basket 5. Suitable mechanisms are now well knownin the art and a detailed explanation thereof would serve no usefulpurpose here. Sufiice it to say that when the main shaft I8 is rotatedin one direction, the basket is held substantially stationary and theshaft I5 oscillates within the then-stationary shaft l4. When shaft I8is driven in the opposite direction, shaft I4 is rotated to spin thethen released basket. Drive of shaft 18 may advantageously beaccomplished by a belt l9 and sheaves 25, 2|, the latter being sized toprovide desired operational speed relative to motor speed. Sheave 25comprises an element of a suitable clutch 22 driven by the reversiblemotor 23. The tub 4 may be secured to the gear casing l2 in water-tightrelation by means such as a relatively thick collar 24 which is clampedtightly against the cylindrical wall of said casing by conventionalclamping bands 25. A unidirectional pump 26 driven from clutch 22creates a pressure head for emptying the tub through an outflow conduit(not shown) when the motor is running in the centrifuging direction.Said pump may be afiixed to a neck 21 by suitable clamp means 28.

The basket is purposely of heavy construction to provide a flywheeleffect, and it and its contentsat full load about eight pounds ofclothes and seventeen gallons of water-may have a total weight of wellover two hundred pounds. When it is considered that the motor and drivemechanism are preferably supported from the same frame as the basket andits gear casing, and that the flexible tub 4 can offer no substantiallateral stability it will be seen that an adequate supporting structureis of great importance. Our invention provides stability and elasticityby a frame and suspension structure of which a preferred embodimentincludes the following:

The foundation comprises a rigid member 28 which extends across the baseof the machine and is welded or otherwise permanently secured to theopposite sides of the base frame. Fixed to said member 29, whichadvantageously is of channel form, is a resilient mounting 30 which in apreferred form includes a rubber annulus 3! having bonded to the upperand lower'surfaces thereof the respective centrally apertured metalplates 32, 33. the channel 29 so as to establish the axis of the annulusvertically through the center of gravity of the basket and its drivingmechanism rather than along the axis of the shaft l5. The plate 32provides the base for a supporting frame on which the gear casing andmotor are carried. To the base plate 34 of the gear casing we afiix aframe member 35 of channel section. One end of said member is preferablybrought upward to fasten directly to said base plate. Rod means 33extend between the base plate and the frame member to complete the gearcasing support. We prefer to use two rods 36 suitably secured to Plate33 is rigidly aifixed to the support member 35 and to the base plate 34,thus providing with fastening means 3! at least three rigid andsymmetrical points of connection between member 35 and the gear casebase plate. It will be understood that the spacing of the supports 36 issuch as to avoid conflict with the drive belt IS. The motor 23 iscarried by an ex tension 38 of frame member 35, preferably by meansallowing movement of the motor relative to shaft I8 for belt adjustment.The flexibility of the tub 4 permits such displacement without imposingan undesirable strain on the pump connection 21. The support frame iscompleted by the U-shaped pedestal securely fastened at its ends tomember 35 and at its base to the upper plate 32 of the resilientsupporting structure.

In a standard domestic washing machine using a conventional washingmachine motor and accessories, the load calculations indicate that thecenter of mass of the entire system is in a plane about 1 in. to theleft of the basket axis as viewed in Fig. 1. A rubber ring 3! having anaverage diameter of about 5 /2 in. and placed with its axis extendingvertically through the center of gravity provides an adequate restoringforce to insure basket stability during the washing operation. We preferto use a rubber annulus rather than springs spaced about a circle ofcomparable radius because the physical continuity of the rubber moreadequately handles the complex strains imposed on the resilient supportas the frame member 40 gyrates about a nodal point during centrifuging,as later explained.

The characteristics of the support system will first be consideredindependently of the dampener system. The elastic quality anddisposition of the resilient mounting ring 3| provides an enforced nodesystem in which the rotating mass and its accessories may be likened toa top set in a nonrotating bearing. The resilient ring provides a fairlylow first critical speed (approximately R. P. M.) and the centralizingforces which are necessary to prevent the system from falling over toany side under its own weight and weight of water.

The first critical speed will be traversed during the first fewrevolutions. The movement of water within the basket will decrease theeffect of unbalance immediately after the first critical and during theearly acceleration to running speed. The enforced node establishes thesecond critical at a speed substantially in excess of the maximumrunning speed of about 700 R. P. M.

Inasmuch as the basket supporting gear case :2 along with the rigidmember 35 and pedestal 40 present a substantially rigid structuremounted on flexible annulus 35, the nodal point is always substantiallyalong the axis of ring 3| it has been deliberately establishedoff-center with respect to the axis of the rotating body to accommodatethe center of mass of the mechanism as a Whole. This eliminates thevertical critical or pounding action encountered when the node is placedon the center line of the rotating member, and which results fromvertical motion of the motor without a counter-balance as the basketgyrates. By enforcing a node, or non-vibrating point, along a verticalaxis passing through the center of gravity of the movable mass in thepresent arrangement, however, there come into play mutually opposingcouples represented by the motor mass multiplied by its moment arm MIand the mass of the basket structure and contents multiplied by itsrela- 4. In an automatic washer of the type having a vertical axisbasket in which the clothes are washed and spin dried, a drive mechanismincluding a motor rotatably supporting and driving said basket, thecenter of gravity of the combined basket and drive mechanism beingdisplaced laterally with respect to the basket axis, support means forsaid basket and associated drive mechanism comprising, a rigidtransverse member carrying said drive mechanism, a rigid base member, aresilient member fixed to said base member and having an average radiusexceeding the radius of gyration of the said center of gravity, a rigidpedestal interconnecting said resilient member and said transversemember, said resilient member being symmetrical about a vertical axispassing through the center of gravity thereby enforcing gyratoryvibrational nodes which lie along such axis through the center ofgravity and below said transverse member, and friction pad means carriedby said base member and resiliently biased into contact with saidtransverse member in a position symmetrical with respect to said axisthrough the center of gravity.

5. In an automatic washer, a vertical axis clothes washing basketrotatable at high speed for liquid extraction, a drive mechanismassembly supporting and driving said basket, a drive motor, a rigidframe member fixed to said drive mechanism assembly and having a motorsupporting arm carrying said motor with its center of mass displacedfrom the axis of said basket, means transmitting power from said motorto said mechanism, a rigid base frame, resilient means on said baseframe symmetrical with respect to a vertical axis passing through thecenter of mass of said combined frame member and the structures carriedthereby, a rigid pedestal secured at its upper and lower endsrespectively ,to said frame member and said resilient means therebyenforcing a gyratory vibrational node substantially along said verticalaxis passing through said combined center of mass, and frictionproducing means between said frame member and said rigid base opposinglateral relative motion therebetween.

6. Support means for a washing machine of the type having a verticalaxis basket in which the clothes are washed and spin dried, said machinehaving a means for rotatably supporting the basket and a motor forrotating the basket: comprising, in combination, a frame member fixed tosaid basket support means and having a rigid arm extending laterallytherefrom for supporting the motor with the combined center of gravityof said frame member and the load carried thereby displaced laterallyfrom said basket axis, a resilient vertical axis base member fixedrelative to said frame member, a rigid pedestal disposed between saidframe member and said base member and fixed to each of them toconstitute the base member the support of the entire static load, thearea of said resilient base member being such as to constitute saidmember substantially the sole means of lateral stability for said load,and a friction member positioned above and substantially coaxially withrespect to said resilient member and frictionally engageable with saidframe member, the axis of said resilient member extending verticallyupward through the said center of gravity and being eccentric withrespect to the axis of said spin basket.

7. In an automatic washer, a vertical axis clothes washing basketrotatable at high speed for liquid extraction, a drive mechanismassembly supporting and driving said basket, a drive motor, a rigidframe member fixed to said drive mechanism assembly and having a motorsupporting arm carrying said motor with its center of mass displacedfrom the axis of said basket, means transmitting power from said motorto said mechanism, a rigid base frame, resilient means on said baseframe symmetrical with respect to a vertical axis passing through thecenter of mass of said combined frame member and the structures carriedthereby, a rigid pedestal secured at its upper and lower endsrespectively to said frame member and said resilient means therebyenforcing a gyratory vibrational node substantially along said verticalaxis passing through said combined center of mass, a rigid post fixed tosaid base frame at the axis of said resilient means and extendingupwardly therefrom, friction pad means on said post and means for urgingsaid friction pad resiliently into contact with said frame member, saidresilient means enforcing a critical speed gyratory vibrational node atapproximately the plane of said resilient means, whereby gyrations ofthe frame member during rotation of the basket will produce relativemovement between said frame member and said friction pad.

8. In an automatic Washer, a vertical axis basket in which clothes areWashed and spin dried, a gear case rotatably supporting said basket andincluding a drive mechanism therein, a drive motor, power transmissionmeans between said motor and drive mechanism, a rigid member carryingsaid gear case and motor with the center of gravity of the combined loadincluding said motor, gear case, and basket displaced laterally fromsaid basket axis, a rigid base member, a resilient annular membercarried by said base member symmetrically with respect to a verticalaxis passing through the center of gravity of said combined load, and arigid pedestal extending vertically from said resilient member to saidrigid member and secured thereto, whereby the gymtory vibrational nodefor said combined load is enforced along said vertical axis passingthrough the center of gravity.

9. Support means for a washing machine of the type having a verticalaxis basket in which the clothes are washed and spin dried, said machinehaving means for supporting the basket for rotation, and a motor forrotating the basket: comprising, in combination, a frame member fixed tosaid basket supporting means and having a rigid motor support armextending radially therefrom, a resilient base member fixed relative tosaid movable frame member, a pedestal disposed between said frame memberand said base member so as to constitute the latter the support for theentire static load including said basket, motor, supporting means, andframe member, the center of gravity of said load being displacedlaterally from said basket axis, and a friction member fixed relative tosaid frame member and resiliently engaging said frame member, the axisof said resilient base member and said friction member being verticaland coincident and including thereon the center of gravity of said load.

10. In an automatic washer, a vertical axis basket in which clothes arewashed and spin dried,- a drive mechanism including a motor rotatablysupporting and driving said basket, a rigid frame member supporting saiddrive mechanism with the center of mass of the combined frame member andstructures carried thereby displaced laterally from said basket axis, arigid base member,

10 a vertically extending means between said frame References Cited inthe file of this patent member and said base member yieldably support-UNITED STATES PATENTS ing said frame member on a vertical axis passingNumber Name Date through said center of mass, a rigid post fixed to saidbase member coaxially with said vertically 5 23131928 Dyer 1943extending means, a friction pad axially movable 2334853 Beattle 1943.

on said post, and means biasing said friction pad 2,361,266" Clark 1944upwardly into sliding frictional engagement with 2,366,236 Clark 1945:

said frame member, whereby relative movement 2381894 Ferns 1945 of saidframe member resulting from gyration of i0 FOREIGN PATENTS said basketis frictionally damped. Number Country Date CLIFFORD REITZ- 300,874Great Britain Nov. 22, 1928 EDWARD LIPSKI- 747,475 France Mar. 23, 1953JAMES F. YOUNG.

